System for guiding a vehicle from a rest position to a target

Abstract

An optical fiber package (52) includes a length of optical fiber (22) wound in a plurality of convolutions on a bobbin (50). In order to maintain the convolutions in a precision wound package and to prevent snags during payout, it is necessary that each convolution of optical fiber be adhered to at least a portion of an adjacent convolution. This is accomplished by providing the length of optical fiber with an adhesive material (32) which is not tacky at room temperature but which becomes tacky at a predetermined temperature. After the convolutions have been wound on the bobbin, the bobbin is treated to cause the adhesive material to become tacky and cause each convolution to adhere to at least a portion of adjacent convolutions. Suitable adhesion is caused to occur with any adhesive material for which molecular bonding can occur across the interface between contiguous portions of adjacent convolutions as a result of suitable treatment. The adhesion between convolutions is sufficient to cause a precision wound package to be maintained, but is such as to allow separation of each convolution from an adjacent convolution during payout without the occurrence of breaks.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for guiding a vehicle from a rest position to a target, said system comprising: a control system;   a vehicle which is capable of being caused by said control system to move from a rest position to a target; and   an optical fiber package, which comprises: a length of optical fiber which is disposed in a plurality of convolutions such that at least a portion of each convolution is adjacent to at least a portion of another convolution, said package being such that one end of said optical fiber is connected to said control system and the other end is connected to said vehicle; and   a layer of an adhesive material which encloses each increment of length of said optical fiber and which upon suitable treatment bonds molecularly across an interface between portions of the adhesive material, wherein said adhesive material on contiguous portions of said optical fiber being adhered together by molecular bonds and wherein the adhesive material on the optical fiber other than that which bonds molecularly to hold the convolutions together includes an outer surface which is characterized by a relatively low coefficient of friction.     
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1, wherein said adhesive material is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic material, a hot melt material, a thermosetting material, solder and a wax. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1, wherein said adhesive material comprises a mixture of a polyvinyl butyral plastic material and a solvent.